Container



A. L. WHITON July 24, 1962 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22,1960 INVENTOR. drifiur- L 14% ion BY ATTNEYS A. L. WHlTON July 24, 1962CONTAINER Filed Sept. 22. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n S W w r A u M 4 UnitedStates Patent M 3,345,889 CONTAINER Arthur L. Whiton, Evanston, Ill,assignor to Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 57,766 3 Claims.(Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to the sealing and rigidifying ofcontainers or boxes and more specifically cleated corrugated paper boardboxes or crates fastened together and assembled by nails or othersuitable drivable penetrating fasteners. More particularly, thisinvention also relates to the provision of sealing flaps on containersof the type that are shipped flat and readily and rapidly set up andassembled for use by opening up a flat, folded corner wood cleated paperboard tube forming the four sidewalls of the container and having woodcleated paper board end closures, and more specifically where the openends of said tube are unbraced or nucleated except by the braces andcleats of said end closures and where the end closures have wood innerbraces at two edges and outer wood cleats at their other two edgestogether with paper board flaps to be folded over the tube and stapledthrough the paper board of the tube to the braces.

In the known commercial or practical forms of containers of thesegeneral types without the seal flaps of this invention, the outerreinforcing strips or wood cleats are suitably secured to the corrugatedpaper board of the open end closures (or tops and bottoms) usually bynailing or stitching or other types of drivable penetrating fasteners.They may also be glued. The inner wood braces at the other two edges ofthese rectangular tops and bottoms of corrugated paper board or the likeare nailed, stapled or otherwise suitably secured by drivablepenetrating fasteners through to the above referred to outer cleats.Thus, this securing occurs only at the ends of each brace if there areonly two cleats per top or bottom and, in any case, only where the braceis crossed by, or is overlaid by, such an outer cleat. It is notdesirable, practical, or economic to glue, cement, or otherwise securethe entire lengths of these subsequently attached inner wood braces tothe top or bottom forming corrugated paper board pieces since the outercleats already in place on the other or outer side (and at least at theother two edges) makes it difiicult or impractical to obtain thepractically required full length support or backup pressure for theproper gluing or cementing of the soft corrugated paper board or thelike to the entire length of such an inner brace. Nailing, stapling orthe like is similarly objectionable. In any case, such an extraoperation adds material and undesired cost.

Thus, the non-cleated edges of such top and bottom pieces are normallyunsupported or unconnected between adjacent and transverse cleats. If atop has only the two edge cleats, its other two edges are free orunconnected in between these two edge cleats. These unsupported lengthsor edge areas are undesirably weak. Also, they often warp or buckle dueto humidity or wetting and thus move away from their inner braces. Thisleaves opening which spoils the containers appearance, permits the entryof dirt or foreign substances, and in some cases, permits the loss ofcontainer contents. Also the forks of a normally used lift truck mayeasily be inserted into such buckling caused openings and tear such topsor hottoms upon removal of such forks. However, even if such edges ofthe top and bottom pieces are so secured along their complete lengths,there are other serious problems and difiiculties.

Such containers normally have their tube or sidewall edges exposed atsuch non-cleated top or bottom edges.

3,045,889 Patented July 24, 1962 This is so because the top or bottomcorrugated paper board pieces and their inner braces are recessed in, orreceived in between the two sidewalls and also since the top or bottompieces do not (and cannot normally) extend out beyond their inner bracepieces without serious danger of tearing off of such projecting portionsin normal use. Put another way, these tube edges are free and exposedbecause the top and bottom piece edges must terminate flush with theirinside braces, otherwise they will be apt to be torn off in loading orin normal use of such containers.

The exposed, unsupported or unconnected and free, weak, and openable topedges of the tube or of the sidewalls of known and conventional suchcontainers give rise to still other and previously unsolved problems anddifficulties. Such edges are normally rather rough and have anon-finished appearance. Also, as noted above, such rough edges areeasily torn. Another problem and a serious practical disadvantage, isthat the withdrawal of the forks of a lift truck (in the ordinary ornormal use of such containers) tends to engage in and drag on theseexposed, free, and rough tube edges and thus to tear them. This at leastimpairs the appearance of such a container. Often it ruins its strengthor opens it up.

According to my invention an improved, stronger and always sealed or nofree edge type of such container is provided at very little extra costin material, operations, or labor in manufacture or in use and theforegoing problems and difficulties are solved and removed by providingcertain suitably bent over flaps or the like. Preferably the abovereferred to and normally free or unconnected brace edges of the tops andbottoms (i.e. the intermediate portions resting on but not connected totheir inner braces) are suitably scored. Preferably this scoring isslightly outwardly from where their otherwise free edges would belocated. There are thus provided one or more flaps along each such braceedge of such tops and bottoms. Preferably but not necessarily, theseflaps extend full length between adjacent upright cleats on the tube orsidewalls. By reason of the space provided by their slight outwardspacing of their scoring or bends from their inner braces, such flapsare folded over the adjacent upper and lower sidewall edges to embraceor clamp them between such flaps and the inner braces of the top orbottom closure units. Such folded over flaps are then readily andsuitably secured through to their underlying wooden braces. Preferably,such securing is substantially continuous and along their full lengthsbetween adjacent transverse cleats. It will be apparent to those skilledin this art that such securing can economically and readily be doneexternally (and without the requirement for any internal support orpressure plates) by conventional nailing, stapling or other types ofdrivable penetrating fasteners. Conventional nailing or straplingmachines can place a row or rows of nails, staples, stitches or the likesubstantially continuously along the length or lengths of such flaps andinto such inner braces. This seals up or closes such corners or edges ofsuch types of containers and practically removes the danger of openingsforming at such corners as well as solving and removing the hereinabovenoted problems, limitations and difficulties.

Accordingly, the general objects of this invention are to provide suchtypes of containers or boxes of an improved, stronger, and edge orcorner sealed type which are substantially or practically damage freeand foolproof in their normal and intended use.

Another object of this invention is to provide such containers of a lowcost in material, manufacture, assembly and use, yet which havesubstantially no free edges with their attendant problems anddifficulties.

Another object hereof is the provision of such containers which may beeconomically manufactured to provide for the effective sealing orclosing of openings at all (or substantially all) corners or edges, toincrease the effective strength of such containers, particularly attheir corners or edges, and to provide attractive, smooth, and openingresistant corners or edges for such containers.

Another and more detailed object hereof is the provision of practicaland economic edge closure structure for such containers to provide asealing, strengthening, and full length fastened overlapped or overlyingregion along and protecting such otherwise free edges.

Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will beapparent to those skilled in this art from a consideration of thefollowing and more detailed description of two exemplary embodiments ofthis invention, which are described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled container according toone embodiment of my invention with a portion broken away to show innerstructure;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the partially collapsed tube to formthe sidewalls for the container of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a bottom used in the container ofFIGURE 1 and which is the same as its p;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an assembled container according toanother and second embodiment of my invention with a portion broken awayto show inner structure;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the partially collapsed tube orsidewalls for the container of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of bottom for the container of FIGURE 4which is the same as its top.

As shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the first exemplary embodiment of myinvention comprises a collapsible and rectangular type of container orbox, all of whose outer or enclosing walls are formed of a suitablefibrous sheet material as noted above and which is preferably here thewell known corrugated paper board as commonly used in such containers.This collapsible container has outer and reinforcing cleats which arepreferably elongated wood pieces. It also has certain inner braces ofelongated wooden pieces, at least on the inner sides or surfaces of itsseparate enclosure pieces on its top and bottom.

Since its top and bottom pieces may be, and here are, identical, theycarry these same reference numbers. Thus, each of these two enclosurepieces is designated as a whole by 1. The remaining or main body of thiscollapsible container is designated as a whole by numeral 2 andcomprises an elongated or upright tubular body of the four rectangularsidewalls 3, 4, 5, and 6.

These four sidewalls are interconnected in any known or suitable fashioninto a closed or tubular body which can be folded flat and has the twoopen ends as indicated in FIGURE 2 showing this tubular body before thesecuring and assembly of the bottom and top thereon.

As illustrated in this embodiment, the four sidewalls of this tubularbody are preferably integral, as shown. Thus the rectangular sidewallportion 3 and 6 have the unconnected or free edges 8 and 9 respectivelywhich may be interconnected in any suitable fashion to close up and formthe tubular body.

The suitably blanked out and one piece of corrugated paper board formingthe four sides 3, 4, 5, and 6 may be scored and bent in various known orsuitable fashions to provide for its opening out into its desiredrectangular cross-sectional shape. As illustrated, the scoring lines andbends at edges 8 and 9 respectively connect to bend stitching flaps 11and 12 which are conventionally stitched together along their entirelengths, as shown.

Sidewall corner cleats are suitably secured to each of the foursidewalls by any desired or known securing means including gluing,cementing, nailing or stapling as shown in full length rows 19 throughfrom said fibrous sidewall into said outer cleats. Each of these cleatspreferably extends throughout the length or height of its sidewall. Eachof the two cleats for each of the four sidewalls is of a suitablecross-sectional shape and is here illustrated as being substantiallysquare.

As shown, each of these corner cleats for each sidewall is locatedalong, or very close to, the side or edge scores of its said sidewall.Thus as shown, the cleat 20 extends along and preferably at, or veryclose to the edge 8. Cleats 21 and 22 are located along the entirelength of and at, or very close to, and on each side of the bendingscore line 14. Similarly, cleats 24 and 25 extend along each side of thebend 15 while cleats 26 and 27 extend along each side of bend 16. Likecleat 20, the other or matching cleat 28 extends along side of bend 9and the stitch-ing flap 12.

After the tubular or main body portion 2 is opened out into itspreferably square cross-sectional form, it is retained in its penforming by the assembly and securing in place of the top and bottompieces as hereinafter disclosed.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the main body 2 has i an opposed pair ofits sidewalls 3 and 5 which are longer, and extend outwardly at eachtubular end such as 3a beyond the ends of the other two sidewalls 4 and6. The two cleats for each flap sidewall preferably have the samelengths or heights as their corresponding sidewall to which they aresecured as noted above. This difference in heights or lengths or theopposed pairs of sidewalls of the tubular main body 2 provides for thereception of the enclosures or top and bottom pieces 1 between theseextended lengths at each end of side faces 3 and 5.

Each of the identical top and bottom closure units or pieces 1 (whichare here illustrated as being square and identical) comprises arectangular fiat body portion 37 of preferably the same fibrous sheetmaterial as that used for the enclosing walls of the tubular member 2.In this first embodiment, each end closure 1 has only two outer cleats39 and 40 located as shown at, or immediately adjacent, its cleat edges41 and 42 respectively. These edge cleats may, if desired, be similar,except for their length, to the outer cleats for the main body 2. Inlike manner they are suitably secured to the body portion 37 by suitablemeans such as the rows 38 of nails, staples or the like extendingthrough the inside as shown. They may also be glued to the portions 37.

The outer two edges or sides of flat body portions 37 have the suitablysecured and inner wood braces extending along their lengths as shown.These Wood braces 46 and 47 are, as noted in the preliminary descriptionof this invention above, preferably only secured by being clampedbetween the crossed ends of cleats 39 and 40 and braces 46 and 47, whichends are secured together as illustrated by the nails 49, which mayenter vfrom either direction or from both. Thus, for the reasons asexplained above, it is generally more practical and desirable not toattempt to secure the ends of sides 4 and 6 to their underlying bracesby gluing, cementing or the like. It will also be apparent that nailingor stapling is not easy and is costly for the slight gain achieved.

In the assembly of parts 1 and 2, end closures 1 are engaged between thelonger ends of walls 3 and 5 and then longer cleats with end cleats 39and 40 flush with the ends of cleats 20, 21, 25 and 26. The ends ofwalls 3 and 5 may be secured as by rows 44 of nails, stables or the liketo the top and bottom cleats as shown.

As shown, the ends of braces 46 and 47 extend to the edges of pieces 37.Cleats 39 and 40, however, extend out beyond braces 46 and 47 so thatthey overlie the ends of sidewall cleats 28 and 22 and cleats 27 and 24as shown. In securing the end closures, side cleats 22 and 24 arelaterally nailed through to the inner brace 47 by nails 49a andsimilarly for cleats 27 and 28 into brace 46. Also if desired, sidecleats and 21 may be nailed as at 50 through to end cleat 39 andsimilarly for cleats 25 and 26 to cleat 40. It will, of course, beunderstood by those skilled in this art that various other known,desired, or useful arrangements, attaching means, and the like may beemployed in this or in other embodiments for the foregoing structurewithin the teachings of this invention and as will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent.

As generally described above, the main feature of this invention isprovided by sealing, overlapping, and edge and corner strengtheningmeans which are here exemplified by the flaps 54 and 55. As alsoexplained above, these flaps of preferably integral width remain flatbody portion 37 of each of the enclosure pieces 1. As shown these flaps54 and 55 are bent in the same direction from each body 37 along thesuitably scored lines 57 and 58 respectively, which last correspond tothe brace edges or sides of the square body portion 47.

As shown, these flaps 54 and 55 extend continuously along edges 57 and58 between the inwardly facing edges of the corresponding corner cleats39 and 40 for shorter side 6 of the main body 2 and similarly betweenthe inner edges of the corner cleats 22 and 24 for shorter side face 4of main body 2. These flaps 54 and 55 are preferably bent over totightly engage and cover the edge portions at each end of shortersidewalls 4 and 6. They also extend between top and bottom cleats 39 and40. As explained above in the general description of this invention,these flaps are easily externally secured to the ends of such sidewallportions 4 and 6 and through to the underlying braces. Preferably, suchsecuring means extend throughout the lengths of these flaps and thusbetween the above noted corner cleats of side faces 4 and 6. Preferably,the securing of these flaps also extends into their underlying bracesand this securing throughout their lengths is done by rows 59 of nails,staples or the like. As will be well understood by those skilled in thisart, such nailing or the like may be readily and economically achievedby use of conventional nailing or stapling machines or the like since nointernal bracing, pressure plates or other such means is required forthis externally applied securing.

It will be apparent that the otherwise open or loose edges at 57 and 58are effectively and permanently sealed and closed. It will also be seenthat the entire container or box is materially strengthened by theseelongated bent portions or their dihedral angles or fibrous sheetmaterial. Also warping, buckling, tearing of either of the edges of theenclosures or the edges of the main body portion 2, and the unwanted orimproper entry of lift forks are all effectively and economicallyprevented by this flap means or its equivalents.

The second exemplary embodiment of my invention is shown in FIGURES 4,5, and 6. It differs from the first embodiment mainly by reason of theextra or intermediately and parallel cleats between the corner cleats ofeach of the four side faces of the main and tubular body portions, whichis designated as a whole by 72 and similarly by the extra parallelcleats intermediate the edge cleats of the end closures or top andbottom pieces, which are each designated as a whole by 71. Thus, theflaps, which extend down in between the cleats of the overlookedsidewall are divided into a plurality of parts or are separate andshorter flaps of appropriate lengths to be engaged between the sidewallcleats.

The container as a whole is of -a shorter and wider rectangular shapeand its tubular and main body portion 72 is here illustrated as beingformed of four separate pieces suitably stitched together to form thefour corners of this tubular portion 72. Otherwise, the various securingmeans, their lengths, and their arrangements may be considered as beingessentially the same as those disclosed for my first embodiment.

In FIGURES 4, 5, and 6, the tubular, foldable and main body portion 72is assembled and fabricated into its closed tubular form from the fourseparate sidewall pieces of fibrous material 73, 74, 75, and 76. Each ofthese main side wall pieces has its upright edges interconnected likethe open edges between side faces 3 and 6 of FIGURES 1 to 3. Thus, thereneed be only a single scored or bend line at each edge of each of thefour sides of the unit 72. These upright bends are supplied by the scoreor bend lines 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 and 84 to provide bendableflaps or integral strips 86, 37, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, and 94respectively. As shown, these flaps stitched together in the samefashion. as the stitched flaps 11 and 12 of FIGURE 2.

Like FIGURES 1 to 3, the tubular side faces 73 and 75 are shorter ateach end than the other two side faces 74 and 76 to provide for theembraced reception of the enclosures or top and bottom pieces 71 betweenthe longer or extended ends of the side pieces 74 and 76 as shown. Theshorter side faces 73 and 75 have correspondingly shorter corner cleats96, 97, 98 and 99 respectively which extend to the upper and lower endsof tube 72. These shorter side faces 73 and 75 also have a plurality, orhere two, of intermediate and parallel bracing cleats 101 and 102respectively which are here illustrated as being uniformly spacedbetween the corner cleats and similarly secured and having the samelengths, as the corner cleats.

In like fashion the narrower but higher side faces 74 and 76 havesimilar corner cleats 104, 105, 106', and 107 respectively thereon.These side faces 74 and 76 are shown as each having only oneintermediate and reinforcing cleat between and parallel with the cornercleats and having the same lengths as the corner cleat 91. Theseintermediate cleats 109 and 110 respectively also have the same lengthsor heights as the side faces 74 and 76 as do the corner cleats. All ofthese cleats may be secured as by securing means 110a and as disclosedin connection with my first embodiment.

As in my first embodiment, the adjacent corner cleats are intersecuredby rows of nails such as 96 and all of the cleats for the tubular memberare secured thereto by nails such as 98 arranged in rows along thelength of said cleats as described above.

The top and bottom or end closures 71 have braces 118 and cleatarrangements to match the corresponding and short height sides 73 and75. Thus, the top and bottom edge cleats 111 and 112 are separated bythe two parallel, intermediate, uniformly spaced cleats 113 and 114. Allof these top and bottom cleats are secured as by means 115 and asdescribed above in connection with my first embodiment. The edge cleats111 and 112 of members 71 are secured to the braces 118 by nails 117 asin my first embodiment. The end closures are secured in essentially thesame fashion as in my first embodiment. Thus, the end cleats, such as 96and 97, and the intermediate cleats 101 and 102, of the tubular body arelaterally nailed through to the braces 118 of top and bottom 72 by nails117a. Also nails 12.5 extend laterral ly in from the ends of the shorterside Wall cleats, such as 104, and 109 into top and bottom cleats 112and similarly at the other end into cleats 111 of the top and bottom.Braces 118 are secured along and under the edge portions of top andbottom members 71 adjacent the shorter side walls 73 and 75 as shown andin a fashion similar to that disclosed in connection with my firstembodiment. These braces are secured as disclosed in connection withFIGURES 1 to 3. They are similarly secured to the intermediate cleats109 and of the short tubular side walls 73 and 75 so that they have thethree shorter and intermediate unsupported portions between the cleatsof the shorter sidewalls 73 and 75.

In this different combination of my second embodiment, the importantoverlying fibrous sheet portions or the flaps are provided by theplurality of flaps 119 are here shown as integral with the edges of thetop and bottom sheet material portions or bodies 120 of the top andbottom 71. As shown, these three shorter flaps 199 of each such edgehave their lengths extending between the corner cleats and theintermediate or reinforcing cleats of the shorter tubular sidewalls 73and 75. As shown at 122, these three flaps 109 may be each secured alongtheir entire lengths to the underlying tubular side wall edges of 73 and75 and to the underlying tubular sidewall edges of 73 and 75 and to theunderlying braces by rows of nails or the like applied in the fashiondisclosed in connection with FIGURES 1 to 3 above.

Here again the desirable features and advantages disclosed in connectionwith the construction of FIGURES l to 3 are obtained by the sealing andstrengthening flaps 109.

It is to be noted that while the flaps 55 or the flaps 119 may be of anarrower width, yet I prefer the width illustrated in which they extendout slightly beyond the ends of the top and bottom cleats when theseflaps are flush with the top and bottom fibrous sheets. It will also benoted that the cleats of 71 extend out beyond the braces like those ofFIGURE 3.

It will, of course, be understood that the various specific features,such as the different lengths of their side cleats and the constructionof the tubular sidewalls and the specific arrangement and formation ofthe corners of the tubular main body, may if desired be changed andother known or desired arrangements and constructions employed in lieuthereof.

It will also be understood that While I have specifically described onlytwo exemplary embodiments of my invention, yet various other known ordesired arrangements and construction features may be employed or,alternatively, the features of this invention may be used to advantagein dilferent types of containers or boxes other than those describedherein, all within the spirit and scope of this invention and as setforth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible and drivable fastener assembled container comprising,

a fibrous sheet material, tubular and collapsible main body having arectangular open end with two opposed side walls having ends which arelonger and project beyond the ends of the other and shorter two sidewalls at said open end,

a rectangular fibrous sheet material end closure having two outer cleatsadjacent two opposed edges thereof,

said outer cleats being adapted to be embraced by,

and secured by drivable fasteners through,

the longer two ends of said tubular main body,

said end closure having two inner braces adjacent its other two edges,

and integral flaps along only two opposed edges theresaid flaps beingbent over along lines parallel to and close to the outer sides of saidinner braces to be adapted to directly engage and cover the otherwiseexposed and tearable shorter free ends of said tubular main body and tobe secured by drivable fasteners penetrating through said flaps, thenthrough the shorter ends of said tubular body and then into said innerbraces of said end closure.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said tubular main body has twosimilar rectangular open ends,

and only two outer cleats secured to each of its four side wallsadjacent its corners and extending substantially throughout the lengthof its side walls and wherein there are two similar end closures eachhaving only two outer cleats and only two integral flaps.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein said tubular main body has twosimilar rectangular open ends,

and at least one outer cleat on each face intermediate its said cornercleats,

and wherein there are two similar end closures each having at least oneintermediate outer cleat between the two outer cleats adjacent its twoopposed edges,

and each end closure has a plurality of integral flaps along its saidinner braces with each flap being adapted to extend between the outercleats on the side walls of the tubular main body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,141,497 Watkins Dec. 27, 1938 2,229,355 Watkins Jan. 21, 19412,442,651 Johnson June 1, 1948 2,520,303 Bauer Aug. 29, 1950 2,887,241MacKenzie May 19, 1959

